135. One Land Surveyor, two Estate Surveyors and two Planning Officers were recruited during the year, but vacancies for one Land Surveyor and one Planning Officer remained unfilled.
Revenue
136. The total revenue collected compared with 1958/59 is:
1958/59 1959/60 Premia in land sales, etc. $29,231,891.95 $20,998,349.84 Permit Fees 3,031,447.88 2,500,875.42 Rental for ex-Kowloon Dockyard properties 171,107.00 Boundary Stones & Survey Fees 37,853.91 44,522.30 Plans sold to the public 3,622.70 4,514.58 $32,304,816.44 $23,719,369.14LAND
137. Land values of both residential and industrial sites generally remained steady, but in one or two isolated cases record high prices were obtained. Although less Crown land was available for the open market than in the previous two years, a considerable amount of private land was on offer due to decisions of some of the larger industrial undertakings to streamline their activities and to economize on their land requirement. There were several cases of factories moving to cheaper outlying sites, the vacated sites being sold for residential purposes.
Auction Sales
138. Industry. Four sites were sold for industrial purposes in the urban area, one at Tai Kok Tsui realizing $95 per square foot. A site for a repair garage and petrol filling station at Ma Tau Kok fetched $59 per square foot. Preparation of a programme of land sales, which will include thirty-five sites for industry, is well advanced.
139. Non-Industrial. Eight non-industrial sites were auctioned. One small site in Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, was sold for $177 per square foot whilst two sites for private residences at Shek O fetched $6 and $10 per square foot.
Private Treaty Grants
140. Ninety-four lots or extensions to lots were granted by private treaty, twelve being by exchange and seventeen being free grants for schools, hospitals, a recreation club and nurseries. Twenty-nine sites